Visiting Orkney

In July, the Island Games will be held in Orkney, and preparations are going well. The last week in January, we visited Orkney to inquire about how they are working and how far they have come.

The Island Games Director in Orkney is Kirsty Talbot (left in the photo), and next to her the Deputy Director, named Jo Henry (right in the photo).

Meetings are frequent at the Island Games office in Kirkwall these days. On Monday mornings, they review the week's calendar.

The two of them sit in the office every day, trying to tie up the many loose ends.

Orkney is one of 24 member islands in IIGA (International Island Games Association), and is also the smallest island community to host the games so far.

Orkney consists of more than 70 islands, and the population is around 21,500.

Accommodation a Challenge

Ever since it was clear that Orkney would host the games in 2025, there has been much talk about accommodation. How can such a small island group in the Atlantic accommodate so many athletes and other guests?

But Kirsty Talbot and Jo Henry have worked hard on this challenge together with the travel agency Nirvana Europe, and now that we are visiting Kirkwall, they are close to having found beds for everyone.

Accommodation in Orkney will be in hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, schools, school dormitories, and so-called flexotels.

In addition to Kirsty and Jo, two other people are employed in temporary positions, and many volunteers work every day to get the games ready on time.

"Without these people, it would be difficult to reach our goal," they both say.

The Island Games are called The Friendly Games, and that was also evident this week.

Friendliness was paramount all days, and they both shared their experiences so that we, who are next in line as organizers, can be as well prepared as possible.

The visit to Orkney was particularly informative and a welcome opportunity for us to get a glimpse into the future.